Stamp-canceling mail box



E. L.-ANDERSEN.

' STAMP CANCELING MAIL BOX- APPLICATION man JUNE 10. 1920.

Patented Jan; 24, 1922.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EINER L. ANDERSEN.,OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ;ASSIG NOB OF ONE-THIRD i GBESEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TO ADOLPH C.

STAMP -GANCELING MAIL 1201:.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

Application filed June 1 0, 1920. Serial No. 387,888;

Be it known: that I, EINER 'L. Ai-. nnnsnN, a subject of the King of Norway,"residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Stamp-Canceling Mail Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification. Y I

My invention relates to stamp-canceling mail boxes and has for one of its objects the provision-of amail box. having simple and efii'cient Inean sfor automatically canceling stamps upon mail being deposited in the box.

A further object is the provision of a mail box having simple and efiicient stamp-canceling means therein operable by a portion of the box which is adapted to open up to permit the insertion of mail into the box.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Fig. 1 is a section taken through a mail box equipped with stamp-canceling means embodying my invention; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental view of a type roller used in the construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I have indicated a mail box having a front wall 3, a rear wall 4, and walls 5, one of which is shown in the drawing, a top wall 6, and a bottom wall 7. Any formof mail box may be utilized in embodying my invention in practice.

In the box shown in the drawing I have provided a door 8 hinged as at 9 at one side of a recess 10 formed in the front wall 3. The recess 10 is not essential, but provides means for swinging the door 8 thereinto so that when the door 8 is closed the entire front of the box will be substantially in a plane. The door 8 is intended to cover a mail-receiving slot 11 formed in the front wall so that in order to deposit mail in the box the door 8 must be opened to gain access to the slot 11.

Disposed within the box and adjacent the slot 11 I provide a stamp-canceling means. Inthe form of my invention shown I have indicated a frame 12 which is secured to the ends 5 of the mail box by means of screws or bolts 13, two of which appear in section in Fig. 1. Journaled in the frame is a shaft 14 upon which a drum or roller 15 is fixed.

The roller 15' is provided with a set of envelope marking type 16. This type can be arranged to print any desired notations, and set or changed in any desired manner. I have indicated this type stamp as a conven tlonal stamp now in general use in oflices and such as are operated by clockwork housed therein. Also, fixed to the roller 15 I have indicated a series of waved lines 17, see Fig. 2, for canceling the stamp on a letter, or the like. The time stamp 16, as indicated in Fig. 2, will indicate the postoflice, year, month, day and hour that a letter is mailed. The lnternal clockwork mechanism, not shown, moves the hand 18 continuously and changes the day, month and year characters at the right times, or, these day, month and year characters may be set in any desired manner.

Below the roller 15 in the frame 12 I mount a platen 21 sliding in bearing blocks 22 which are pressed normally toward the roller 15 by springs 23, one bearing block and spring are indicated in Fig. 1. Between the slot 11 and the adjacent points of rollers 15 and 21 I provide a chute having upper and lower walls 24 for guiding a letter from slot-11 to a position between platen 21 and roller 15. The type is inked by moving roller 15 on its axis to bring said type stamp up against an inking roller 25 also mounted in bearing blocks 26 which are pressed by springs 27 toward the roller 15. The mounting of roller 25 is preferably such that the roller will be pressed gently against the type when said type move by said roller as roller 15 is being rotated.

The roller 15 may be operated in any desirable manner from lid 8. I preferably connect it to lid 8 so that it is imperative for a person depositing mail to operate the canceling mechanism in order to deposit his letter. The form of driving connection indicated is a gear 28 fixed on shaft 14 and a segmental gear 29 fixed on door 8. Any other desirable driving connection may be used when so desired.

I provide a weight 30 attached to door 8 and gear 29 in a manner to normally hold the door 8 closed and in recess 10. Upon a person desiring to deposit a letter he pulls on handle 31 of door 8 bringim the door to the full line position indicated in Fig. 1. This automatically turns roller 15 to its position indicated in Fig. 1 so that the type on said roller is in position to cancel the the door is opened, as indicated, the letter is passed through slot 11 and'chute 24until it is stopped by rollers 15 and 21. Then the person releases handle 31 permitting Weight 30 to close the door. This closing of the door causes gears 28 and 29 to operate roller 15 to pull the letter between typemember 16 and platen'Ql. This movement draws the letter through and pushes it over on an inclined slide 32 from which the letter drops by gravity to the bottom of the box. I preferably provide the bottom 7 inclined so that as the letters drop from slide 32the'y' will fall one upon the other in a manner to cause them to beautomatically stacked, as indicated bythe dotted lines 33 in Fig; 1. The postman upon taking the mail from the'box simply picks up the package of letters 33 and ties them together or otherwise'holds them so that they are ready. to be sorted and distributed as soon as received at the postoflice.

extending inwardly from said slot; and a,

plate inclined generally in the direction of and spaced above said bottom and adjacent said chute. 1

' 2. "In a combination, a mail box having a mail-receiving slot in one side thereof and V itsibottom inclined toward said slot; and a plate inclined in the general direction of said bottom and: having its 'l'ower 'edge spaced from an adjacent all of s aid mail box,said I inclinedplate and bottom cooperating to lacilitate stacking mail in said box.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 5th day'of June, A. 111920. i

EINER L, ANDERSEN. 

